Women
protesters who have besieged an oil terminal in southern
Nigeria for more than a week say they have reached a
deal with the refinery owners to end their blockade.
One of the protest leaders, Anunu Uwawah, told the Associated
Press (AP) news agency: "It is settled. We stay today,
but once the paper is signed, we will leave."

We now
have a different philosophy, and that is do more with communities

Dick Filgate, Chevron Texaco
She said the firm - Chevron Nigeria - had satisfied the
women's demands by agreeing to hire more than two dozen
villagers and build schools, water systems and other amenities.

About
800 workers remain trapped in the Escravos terminal in southern
Delta state, after about 400 workers were allowed to leave
the site on Sunday.

Some
150 women took over the terminal eight days ago, demanding
employment for their families and investment in the local
community.

The
occupation of the terminal has halted the production of
an estimated 500,000 barrels of oil a day.

Company
pledge

An executive
of parent company Chevron Texaco, Dick Filgate, said he
hoped the deal would be finalised by Tuesday, the news agency
reported.

According
to Mr Filgate, the company has agreed to build a town hall
in the village of Ugborodo - home to many of the protesters
- and build schools and electrical and water systems.

"We
now have a different philosophy, and that is do more with
communities," AP quoted Mr Filgate as saying following
talks with the women.

He said
the deal would be reviewed in five years' time.

'Good
faith'

The
workers who were freed had been due to end their shifts,
which can last weeks at a time.

A representative
of the women, Helen Odeworitse, told AP that they wanted
to demonstrate their "good faith" by releasing
the workers.

"[Chevron]
begged us to allow the boats to go so they can bring food
back, and allow those who were due to go on time-off leave,"
she said.

Local people are protesting at poor facilities

The
women have now threatened to strip naked in a traditional
gesture of shaming men if any of the remaining captive workers
try to leave.

"Our
weapon is our nakedness," Ms Odeworitse said.

Many
Nigerian tribes consider displays of nudity by wives, mothers
and grandmothers as a damning protest and an act that shames
all those it is aimed at.

Precedents

Nigeria
is Africa's largest oil-producer but protests are common
in oil-producing regions by local communities, demanding
that more of the oil wealth is used for their benefit.